Strawberries are ripe for the picking in Louisiana

It's Christmas, but the first strawberries are already being harvested in Louisiana. LSU AgCenter horticulture agent Sandra Benjamin said some growers have been picking strawberries for nearly a month, thanks to the development of new early-producing varieties.

"There are not many growers with berries, but they are beginning to come in a little at a time," Benjamin said.

Mark Liuzza, a Tangipahoa Parish strawberry grower, said the berries look full and healthy, although some of the plants are being damaged by mold.

"Our growers planted between Sept. 23 and Oct. 7, and they started harvesting the week of Thanksgiving," Benjamin said. "Some growers are harvesting every two days, and on warmer days some farmers have harvested as much as 100 flats per acre.

"So far, the weather has not caused any concern to the farmers," said Benjamin, who added that a drawback to early-producing varieties is that they are susceptible to cold snaps.

The Louisiana strawberry industry involves 83 growers who produce more than 380 acres of strawberries for a gross farm value of about $15.2 million, according to the Louisiana Ag Summary.

Strawberries continue to be the leading fruit crop in the state with Tangipahoa Parish as the leading strawberry-producing parish with $11.5 million in sales during 2010.